The Moonflower: Frost in the air PAUSED

Chapter 3

Icestar purred, gazing at his- and Honeytail's- kits.
Fangkit, Goldenkit, and Foxkit were all playing moss- ball at the foot of clan- ledge.
"They're perfect, aren't they?" His mate leaned against him, purring.
"Yes, they are." Icestar agreed. "And I expect that one of them will be a leader someday."
"Fangstar, or Foxstar." Honeytail licked his cheek.
"Yes, I think Fangstar would be a good leader."
The tiny kit was the biggest out of the litter, and he was kind of bossy.
"Foxstar sounds like a better name to me." The queen loved her little orange tom- kit.
"What about Goldenstar?"
The two older cats looked down to see their smallest kit, Goldenkit, staring up at them.
Her nose had a large scar on it that was made a while ago.
Icestar didn't know who did it, but it was a while ago, so it didn't matter that much.
"Umm... yes, that sounds nice too." He tried to sound convincing, but he failed.
Goldenkit looked hurt, but tried not to show it too much. "Oh... okay."
Icestar didn't really ever think that his only daughter would become a leader. She was just too small.
Goldenkit lashed her golden tail and padded away to the nursery, leaving her brothers to their game.
And they don't even notice. She thought bitterly. I'm the runt of the litter, so why would they care?
Her heart was scared for life.
Even as a small kit- well, smaller kit- her mother always let the two toms get most of the milk.
She'd tried to push past them and reach it, but one of them would complain and her mother would say:
"Goldenkit, it's not nice to take milk away. Your brothers need to drink too."
Then she would pull her daughter away from her stomach and Goldenkit would have to wait for her turn, which barely ever came.
I just want to be loved like my brothers.
She curled into her nest and was lost in a dream.
Or you could say memory.

"Goldenkit, catch this!"
Goldenkit looked up as Foxkit threw a mouse high above her head.
"I can't reach that!" She complained as Fangkit grabbed it from behind her a flung it over again, where Foxkit picked it up quickly.
"We know." The bright orange tom growled. "That's why we do it!"
"That's mean!" Goldenkit waited for her mother, Honeytail, to tell the toms to be nicer to their sister, but she never did.
She just sat at the entrance of the nursery and gazed fondly at Foxkit and Fangkit.
When she finally did say something, it wasn't what the golden she- kit expected.
"Goldenkit," She meowed. "Your brothers are having fun. If you want to complain, go away."
What?!!
"Fangkit, Foxkit, you're doing a great job at throwing. Keep practicing."
The two toms purred and bit into the mouse, eating it slowly.
"I'm hungry too." Goldenkit ran up. "Can I have some too?"
"No!" Fangkit hissed. He extended his claws and raked them across her muzzle.
She fell back quickly, licking her nose as blood came out.
"Ha!" Foxkit laughed. "Your nose must hurt a lot."
It did.
It was stinging so badly that Goldenkit was pretty sure it would fall off.
"What was that for?!" She yowled.
"Goldenkit!" Honeytail snarled. "Keep it down! There are other cats in this camp."
And you don't care that I almost lost my nose? She hissed silently then jerked awake.

"Why?" She whispered, lying in her nest. "Why does my family hate me?"